As you may or may not know A Wrinkle In Time was read by me, in fourth grade, and the suggestion of my very stern library teacher – Mrs. Ideno. She stated that she thought that I would like it and that’s definitely an understatement. I loved it. I consumed the words so quickly that by the next day of school I had gobbled the entire thing up. One of the statements that Ava DuVernay shared with us during her interview was that she wants to create visual content that sticks to your bones like good soul food. That’s an image.
Self Discovery is Sometimes our Greatest Quality
A Wrinkle In Time follows the journey of Meg Murry as she’s grappling with situations while attempting to come to terms with her father’s absence. Meg is awkward and troubled by her insecurities and the fact that he father is gone. With speculations from teachers and students alike, she not only has to navigate the halls of her high school, but the road of puberty and knowing herself. Her mother is all but absent-minded as well, and suffering with being a single mom by a freak accident of sorts. No one knows where in time or space Mr. Murry is, and that’s what starts this great journey.
The Mrs. – Whatsit, Who, and Which all connect with Meg through her little brother Charles Wallace (played by Deric McCabe) , who has a special bond with Meg. He’s almost like her guardian angel, and if you read the book, you gain a deeper understanding of how strong the connection between the two of them is, but Ava and Jennifer Lee do a really good job showing the closeness in this adaptation.
Deric McCabe is Charles Wallace Murry in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.
This movie was made for children
One thing that I had to focus on was also something that Ava shared with us during our first viewing (yes we saw it twice) of the movie. She said “This movie is for children. Not adults who tend to be far too cynical. It’s for the dreamers, and those that can still be transported away by their imaginations.” Someone in the audience then stated that they thought the lady doth protest too much, and I glared. But after the first screening I felt some kind of way. I felt, like an adult. That made me sad.
Seeing the movie on premiere night definitely left me feeling a different way. I heard lines that I didn’t hear before. I gasped at the beauty of the Mrs. standing in the wheat field – as seen in the trailer – and I was amazed at the set design. All the little things that my children tend to see whenever we view movies together.
Storm Reid is Meg Murry, Deric McCabe is Charles Wallace Murry and Levi Miller is Calvin O’Keefe in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.
One of the other themes in the movie has to deal with a little bit of teen angst. Calvin O’Keefe, one of the more popular boys at school with his own closeted skeletons, joins the Wallace children on this journey of self-realization. He stares at Meg in a way that made me want Mr. Houseful to do. Not sexual, just – proud. He’s extremely proud to be one of the chosen folks for this journey. There’s also no teen kissing, just in case you’re wondering. I’ll go ahead and pop that balloon for you right now. I was nervous.
The scarier parts are dark, and there are some flashes that come from synapses firing in the brain of the It. Or the Dark Thing. This scene both in the book and the movie may be a bit scary for younger children so be prepared to snuggle a bit with children who are more sensitive. It might also be a good time to do a little lap sitting with them. Usually, Lil Miss with just grab my upper arm and lean on me while viewing, and that’s how she handles it.
Mindy Kaling is Mrs. Who, Levi Miller is Calvin O’Keefe, Oprah Winfrey is Mrs. Which, Zach Galifianakis is the Happy Medium, Storm Reid is Meg Murry, Deric McCabe is Charles Wallace Murry and Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.
Mr. Murry (Chris Pine) is held prisoner by a dark force in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME, an epic adventure which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and ultimately, the triumph of love.
Love Conquers All
The Mrs. all offer Meg a gift on her quest, when their powers are no longer strong enough to fight the darkness. Each of these gifts will help Meg in some way, to save her father. Learning how to use them is what makes her stronger than she ever thought she was.
This is an ADAPTATION
For all of us who may be book purists, please keep this in mind. See the movie with a set of eyes and mind knowing that this is based loosely on the book that you love, and know that a new generation of children will learn to love this same book, just not through the same conduit that you did. However, they’ll want to read the book (if they haven’t) and finish out the series because Ava, Jennifer, Storm, Oprah, Mindy, Reese, Levi and Deric have brought characters to life in a way that they can relate. There are some pacing and continuity issues. There a characters that are left out or added. It’s fantastical and it’s supposed to be that way. It’s supposed to be a movie for children and it manages that entirely.
The children that I saw after the world premiere were glowing and talking about all of the cool scenes that they just witnessed. That’s what you want – a movie for kids received well, but kids. It’s The Neverending Story for this generation. Have you gone back to watch The Neverending Story as an adult. I’ll wait. Take your kids, or your nieces and nephews. Let them be kids. Give them that gift.
A Wrinkle in Time tessers to theaters on March 9 – get your tickets today!
Photo Credit: Disney
Thank you for the review. I read the book DECADES ago as a child and I’m excited to see the movie and share with my son. It will be nice, however brief, to recapture some of the whimsy I had as a child.
I love movies that are truly for kids. As an adult, I do appreciate kids movies that have little bits of sarcasm thrown in for the adults to catch, but my favorite children’s movie – Spirited Away – doesn’t have that. It’s a story for children, and while some of it is scary at times, it takes children seriously. That’s what I’m hoping for from A Wrinkle in Time.